


Reigisa week

by nitschieh



Category: Free!
Genre: Crack, Fluff, M/M, as always i am only capable of writing fluff, awkward first handjobs, in the last one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-15
Updated: 2014-06-21
Packaged: 2018-02-04 18:27:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1788847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nitschieh/pseuds/nitschieh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of unrelated drabbles for Reigisa week on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are more ways than one of a first kiss.

The first time Nagisa kisses Rei it's on his cheek during swimming practice.

Nagisa just beat his own record and therefore is bouncing up and down on his feet while watching Rei in the water and cheering him on.  
When Rei hits the edge of the pool and emerges from the water to catch his breath, Nagisa hurries forward to hand him a towel. Both of them look expectantly at Gou next.  
Gou takes a look at the stop watch in her right hand, then at the records in her other hand, then back at the time.

"Hm..."

Nagisa, seemingly more impatient than Rei, urges on:

"Well? How was it?"

But before Gou can answer him turns to Rei and adds in his chipper voice:

"I think Rei-chan looked _super_ fast just now!"

Rei shushes Nagisa who quickly looks back at Gou, a little guilty. Gou watches them for a few more moments, hardly able to keep the amusement off her face. Then she practically beams.

"It's a new personal best!"

Rei and Nagisa also brighten up before they turn to look at each other. However, when Rei thinks his eyes should lock with Nagisa's, he doesn't find the other boy.  
Instead something soft presses against his cheek and then is gone as quickly as it came. Rei absentmindedly touches the spot where he's pretty sure Nagisa just kissed him. For a second nothing can be heard but Nagisa's laughter and his excited shouts of, "We did it, Rei-chan! We did it!".  
Then Gou turns away and calls:

"Makoto-senpai, you're up next."

***

The first time Rei kisses Nagisa it's on his forehead while he's asleep.

It's a few weeks after Nagisa's first peck on his cheek and since then several have followed. One time they had both somehow moved simultaneously and Nagisa's lips had graced Rei's jaw instead. Rei had needed a few minutes in the pool to cool himself down.  
Since then he is waiting for more kisses.  
Sometimes Rei isn't even sure if they categorise as kisses or just another one of Nagisa's many ways to show affection. One way or another, Nagisa doesn't do this kind of thing to anyone else than him which makes him feel special and fuzzy inside whenever he thinks about it.

At the current time Nagisa is staying over at his place; or rather he is there to study and to do their homework but half an hour ago he had declared that he was tired, had rolled onto his side and was asleep within just a few minutes.  
Rei was finishing his own schoolwork then but now that he is done he feels a bit bored. He wonders what he can do until Nagisa wakes up from his nap and considers reading a book but then he's mesmerised by the way Nagisa's chest rises and falls with every breath he takes.

Nagisa had often been over at Rei's place, especially for study purposes and more often than not he had also taken a nap there. In fact, Rei had often seen Nagisa sleep already but not ever since the jaw incident.  
Soon Rei realises he is staring and feels his face flush. However, he doesn't look away and only crawls closer. Rei's eyes wander over Nagisa's body; starting from the chest and his legs which are curled up there, up his neck to his ear and his fluffy hair. Finally Rei watches Nagisa's eyes with the long lashes, his nostrils that flare a little every time he exhales and at last Rei's eyes are hooked on Nagisa's lips.

Rei wishes those lips were on his cheek or maybe his jaw again or even on his own lips. The thought freaks him out a bit but he can't help but scoop even closer.  
His gaze still fixed on Nagisa's lips Rei leans in until he can feel the other's breath on his own cheek; the cheek that has felt those lips before numerous times.

That's when Rei realises exactly what he is about to do and he freezes. He can see Nagisa's eyelashes up close right in front of his eyes; closer than he's ever seen them before.  
His brain is telling him to back off and he finds that he very much agrees. Rei also thinks that now that he is already this close he should probably take his chance.  
He considers kissing Nagisa's cheek the way the other boy has so often done to him by now but he chickens out and instead goes for his forehead.

When he pulls back Rei looks at Nagisa once more and he can't stop himself before he whispers:

"Nagisa..."

Leaving out the honorific makes Rei feel more embarrassed than he thinks it should especially since Nagisa can't even hear him.  
He can feel his face heat up again but he doesn't have a chance to cool down because just a second later Nagisa stirs awake.

Rei quickly crawls back to where his textbooks are still sprawled over the table. Nagisa slowly sits up and rubs his eyes while mumbling, "Rei-chan?".  
Rei fixes his glasses, mostly to hide his still red face, and says as calm as he can:

"Nagisa-kun, you should finish your homework soon."

Nagisa slumps onto the table in front of him, clearly still tired and groans quietly. Then he turns his head to Rei and looks up at him from the flat surface.

"Did you wake me just now, Rei-chan? How long have I been out?"

Rei gulps and averts his eyes before he answers:

"For approximately 15 minutes. I only just finished the homework myself."

His eyes fall on the clock on his wall. It has been almost 40 minutes since Nagisa fell asleep.

***

The first time they kiss each other is exactly one week later after practice.

When Nagisa approaches him on their way out Rei sighs deeply. If he is honest he has been avoiding Nagisa since that time when he almost lost control. If he is honest he is scared of himself. But when Nagisa tells Gou, Makoto and Haruka to go on ahead it doesn't really surprise Rei.

The two of them stay behind and the silence that fills the locker room feels more awkward that it ever has. Eventually Nagisa takes a deep breath before he states:

"Rei-chan has been avoiding me."

There is no question, no insecurity in Nagisa's words. It is what it is; a simple statement. That is why Rei doesn't find it in himself to protest, so all he does is nod curtly.  
Nagisa stands up from where he is sitting on a bench and walks over to Rei who is standing close to the door; in case he needs to run, he tells himself.  
Nagisa soon invades his personal space and Rei realises how much he has missed having the other boy close, but he is still scared and turns his head away. Then Nagisa tightly wraps his arms around Rei's waist. The words the blond says next are muffled by the fabric of Rei's school uniform. 

"I don't want to be apart from you."

Rei can feel his face flush and in the heat of the moment he hugs Nagisa back, pulls the smaller body as close to his own as he can.  
They stand like that for a while, bodies pressed against each other, Nagisa's head secured under Rei's chin. Rei finally sets to apologise and gets as far as, "Sor--" when he can feel against his collar bone rather than hear the words that leave Nagisa's lips next:

"I like you, Rei-chan."

It is said quiet that Rei isn't exactly sure he didn't just imagine it. He pushes Nagisa back at arm's length and when he sees the tears forming in those big eyes watching him he suddenly is very sure that it happened for real.  
He feels himself blush once more and he wants to scream out to the world about how happy he feels. Instead he lays a shaking hand on Nagisa's cheek and jaw and asks him:

"Nagisa-kun, would it-- Would it be okay if I-- If I kissed you?"

The way Nagisa's face brightens while more tears dribble down onto his cheeks is one of the most beautiful sights Rei has ever seen and he is determined to make Nagisa look like that more often in the future.  
For now he concentrates on Nagisa's hair which is waving around while he eagerly nods his head. Rei can't help the small smile before he slowly leans down to meet Nagisa's lips with his own. Nagisa wants to meet him halfway, stands on his tiptoes and slightly loses his balance.

He ends up kissing Rei's chin while Rei's lips settle right next to Nagisa's nose. Surprised they pull back and while Nagisa giggles his face is just as red as Rei's feels.  
But Rei doesn't want to give up just yet, never wants to give up but especially not in this situation. He tightens his grip on Nagisa's face a little and asks:

"One more try?"

Nagisa's giggling stops and he falls back onto his feet, making sure he has solid footing this time. When he looks up at Rei again with expectant eyes Rei puts his other hand up to Nagisa's other cheek as well and leans in once more.  
This time their lips meet and even though they only press their lips against the other's for a few seconds it is too much for them to cope.  
They go back to their hugging position from before and Rei suddenly feels self-conscious about how fast his heart is beating and that Nagisa might hear. But when the blond head nuzzles closer into his chest he can't seem to care much anymore.  
He does remember though that he still needs to do something. Rei puts his head on top of Nagisa's and quietly says:

"I like you, too, Nagisa-kun."

Nagisa simply squeezes his torso a bit tighter.


	2. Laughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei definitely prefers laughter over tears.

"See ya, Rin-chan, Mako-chan, Haru-chan."

Nagisa waved one last time before he turned around to look up at Rei and started walking. Rei followed him suit.

"Today was so much fun! Rin-chan should join us more often."

Rei hummed in agreement while Nagisa kept on babbling:

"And seeing Haru-chan laugh sure was something special."

Rei ignored the sting he felt in his heart over how happy Nagisa sounded about that. He hummed again.  
When Nagisa started talking about the new strawberry popsicles his local convenient store sold Rei stopped listening. It's not that Rei thought what Nagisa was sharing with him was unimportant or boring. It was more that he needed some times to think for himself, especially about Nagisa.

Rei thought about Nagisa a lot. About the way his mere existent has brightened up his life, how he had introduced him to his friends and how he looked so tiny next to the swimmers at tournaments but still swam with such a powerful stroke. He thought about how Nagisa always made sure his friends were happy and getting along, how he thought Rei was amazing for being so smart and how the whole world seemed just a little bit happier whenever Nagisa laughed.

A sudden sensation between his ribs made Rei jump. He looked at his companion who had stopped walking and was now staring up at him with a pout.

"Rei-chan wasn't listening."

Rei frowned and absentmindedly rubbed his side.

"Did you just poke me?"

Nagisa didn't answer but his pout got bigger. Rei remembered the actual question and chuckled.

"Sorry, I was spacing out."

Nagisa looked away and mumbled:

"I noticed."

The blond started walking again, leaving Rei behind who hurried to catch up to him.

"As I said, Nagisa-kun, I'm sorry. Maybe you could repeat it?"

Nagisa seemed to think about it. When he apparently had come to a conclusion he looked at Rei again and said:

"I'll show you when we're home."

Rei decided to ignore the devilish tone in those words and instead focused on their meaning.

"What do you mean, 'when we're home'?"

Nagisa smiled while still looking him in the eyes.

"Rei-chan ignored me... To make up for it you should invite me over for dinner. I really love your mom's cooking."

Rei was a little dumbfounded and wanted to protest but he knew his parents loved Nagisa and if he was honest he'd love to spend some more time with him. Therefore he just sighed and fished his phone out of his trousers' pocket to call his mom.  
Nagisa smiled broadly and Rei's heart skipped a beat.

Half an hour later they stood in front of Rei's front door and while he was looking for his keys Nagisa stood behind him, suspiciously psyched up, bouncing on his feet. Rei turned around to him and said:

"Please don't make a ruckus."

Nagisa grinned and saluted playfully.

"Aye, sir!"

Rei sighed and faced the door again. Unlocking the door was also a good way to hide his own smile. Carefully Rei opened the door and stepped inside.

"I'm ho--"

Before he could even finish Nagisa pushed past him and already slipped out of his shoes. 

"Sorry for intruding!"

He left his shoes in the middle of the entrance hall and walked further to the living room where he greeted Rei's parents.  
Rei sighed once more, picked up Nagisa's shoes to put them aside and took off his own. Just as he positioned them neatly next to Nagisa's the smaller boy hurried back to grab Rei's arm.

"Come on, let's go to your room."

Rei frowned. Nagisa really seemed more hyper than usual. He let himself be dragged through his flat by the blond and quickly said, "I'm home.", again when he saw his mom for approximately 0.5 seconds when he was pulled past the living room. When they had reached his own room he could hear his mom chuckle.  
Nagisa opened the door to Rei's room and eventually let go of his arm. They put their schoolbags next to Rei's desk and Nagisa immediately flopped down onto his bed. Rei watched him for a few seconds before he asked:

"What's wrong?"

For a few seconds the silence that formed between them was unbearable. Rei could see Nagisa's eyes being wider than usual, looking almost scared and for a moment he regretted asking because surely if Nagisa wanted to talk about it he already would have.  
But then Nagisa gulped, Rei could see it from where he was still standing next to his desk, and slowly sat up. Nagisa smiled but Rei had never seen a smile so fake, so unhappy in his whole life. It made him want to embrace the blond and hold him tight until everything that bothered him was gone and long forgotten.  
Rei knew, though, that this could never happen and therefore he waited. He waited until Nagisa had taken three deep breaths and looked up at him.

"I was hoping you wouldn't realise."

Rei wanted to protest, wanted to ask him how there was any possibility he would miss it when his best friend was sad. The sound of the words _best friend_ felt very wrong inside of his own head.  
Nagisa kept on talking.

"You know, it already took me all of my courage and said it before but you didn't listen..."

Nagisa looked close to tears now even though he was still trying his hardest to keep on smiling. Rei was too shocked to think.

"I'm-- I'm sorry, Nagisa-kun, when did I--"

Then it hit him; on their way home Nagisa had pouted when he hadn't listened. When he had said he would show Rei at home was probably when he had started to act weirdly.  
Apparently Rei had chosen the worst moment imaginable to space out. He took a step towards Nagisa and repeated what he had said back then:

"Please, repeat it. I will definitely listen now."

Nagisa's eyes lowered until he stared at the floor. Once again they remained silent for some time until Nagisa pushed himself off the bed and walked over to Rei, coming to a stop between Rei and their schoolbags. He dropped his gaze again.

"You see, I kind of told you that I like you, Rei-chan..."

Nagisa gulped again and Rei was fascinated by the way his Adam's apple bopped up and down.

"What?"

Nagisa laughed, a very dry, not at all amused laugh. Rei hated it.  
Before he could properly respond though, Nagisa picked up his schoolbag and headed towards the door to the hallway. He still had his head lowered so Rei could see his face but when Nagisa mumbled, "I'm sorry.", it was more of a sob than anything else. The thought of the cheery blond crying finally ripped Rei out of his thoughts and with two long steps he was in arms reach and grabbed Nagisa's wrist.

"Aren't you going to wait for my response?"

Nagisa didn't try to shake Rei off but he didn't turn around either. Rei could hear him sniffle.

"It's okay, Rei-chan. I promise I won't bother you. I just wanted to tell you."

Rei gently yanked Nagisa's arm and his bag dropped back to the ground.

"But I want you to bother me."

Rei still couldn't see Nagisa's face he guessed that his eyes widened at those words because when he finally turned around his eyes looked so much bigger than usually.  
Rei tried to ignore the tear that was silently making its way down Nagisa's cheek but he couldn't and in the end he let go of Nagisa's wrist and lifted his hand to wipe it away. When he was done he awkwardly held said hand up between their faces and was just about to lower it again when suddenly Nagisa grabbed his wrist in turn and pulled on it until he could hold it against his cheek. Rei wiped his thumb over the red skin under Nagisa's eyes while the boy nuzzled his palm.

"Do you mean it, Rei-chan? Do you really mean it?"

The feeling of moving muscles under his hand made Rei's heartbeat speed up. He nodded once.

"I do. I--"

Nagisa's eyes felt like they were boring into him now that he was looking at him again and Rei had to avoid his gaze.

"I like you too, Nagisa-kun."

Rei regretted looking away because he almost missed the way Nagisa's face lit up. He felt as if he was experiencing a déjà vu except he knew exactly of what the scenery reminded him off; it was just like when he had called Nagisa by his first name for the first time except now he looked even brighter.  
The laughter that bubbled up Nagisa's lungs as he slung his arms around Rei's neck was the most beautiful thing Rei had ever heard.


	3. It's a Metaphor (Mermen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mermaids are actually a metaphor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if there are any wrong information in here, I wrote this by memory and might've mixed things up but I'm sure even Rei doesn't remember every single autobiography ever...

Nagisa's eyes widened and watered drastically. Rei crawled back until his back hit the wall behind him but he also knew he couldn't get out anymore.

"What did you just say?"

Rei defensively held up his hands.

"I'm sorry, Nagisa-kun, I thought you knew."

Nagisa looked down at the DVD case in his hands and when he looked up again his eyes were even redder than before.

"How would I know?"

A single tear spilled over the edge of Nagisa's eye. Rei didn't know what to do, he wasn't good at handling crying people.  
His hands jerked forward to hold the smaller boy's shoulders like he had seen on TV before but he stopped mid-way. He wasn't even sure if Nagisa wanted him to comfort him.  
He tried for soothing words again instead.

"It's just a fairytale."

Another tear rolled down Nagisa's cheek.

"But the mermaid was so happy in the movie..."

He held up the DVD case of The Little Mermaid for further demonstration.

"How could I know she dies in the original?"

"She doesn't technically die; she just turns into foam."

Nagisa looked at Rei as if he had just told him that butterflies could swim.

" _Just turned into foam_? Her whole body dissolved so don't tell me she's not dead!"

Rei flinched when Nagisa raised his voice but his whole resolve crumbled as a loud sob left the blond's lips.

"I'm-- I'm sorry, I guess you're right."

Rei's shoulders now slumped as well while Nagisa silently tried to wipe the tears that wouldn't stop falling off his face. Rei watched for a few seconds and decided that he never ever wanted to see Nagisa cry again.

"You know, the whole fairytale actually is a metaphor."

Nagisa wiped away one last tear before he looked at Rei with big eyes.

"Do you want to hear the whole story?"

Nagisa immediately nodded wildly which reminded Rei to quickly add:

"But I'm warning you, it's just as sad."

The nodding stopped for a split second before the blond head bobbed up and down again, albeit much tamer now.

"Alright."

Before Rei started talking, though, he reached out a hand to show Nagisa to come closer. Hesitantly Nagisa crawled towards Rei who was still leaning against the wall behind his bed and when he was within arm's reach Rei gently took his upper arm in his hand to guide him until Nagisa was seated in his lap; sitting between his legs, small back flat against Rei's chest.  
While Rei hoped Nagisa wouldn't notice his fast-beating heart - Nagisa might be used to such skinship but Rei sure wasn't - the blond seemed to appreciate the gesture and comfortably leaned back, releasing some tension from his body.  
Rei closed his arms around Nagisa's torso and absentmindedly started stroking between his ribs with his thumb. Nagisa awkwardly turned around far enough to see Rei's face.

"Well?"

Rei took a deep breath and started talking:

"You see, this fairytale is a metaphor for Hans Christian Andersen's own love life.  
"That's the author.", he added after seeing Nagisa's face scrunched up in confusion. The blond nodded to show he understood but Rei could already see the concern and sympathy forming on his face.  
He continued.

"In the fairytale Andersen's role would be the mermaid."

Nagisa's eyes widened a bit and he mumbled a quiet, "Oh no.", before Rei explained further.

"Well, it's obvious that a mermaid is not a normal human being and to put it bluntly Andersen was somehow different himself."

Rei hesitated and Nagisa urged on.

"Different?"

Rei nodded. His bushing cheek softly brushed against Nagisa's for a second.

"He was-- uhm... he-- he was gay."

Nagisa's eyes widened again and he breathed, "I see.", then flinched when he moved his head a little. Sitting in this half-turned position must hurt his neck.  
Rei leaned back a few centimetres. Nagisa got the hint and fully leaned his back against Rei's chest again.  
His head fell back onto Rei's shoulder and for a few seconds they just quietly sat together, enjoying each other's company. Nagisa was the first to break the silence.

"So, he fell in love with another man, huh?"

Rei nodded again. This time his cheek brushed against Nagisa's forehead.

"Exactly. But that man rejected him and married a woman."

Rei waited a few seconds before he concluded:

"This fairytale was Andersen's way of dealing with the heartbreak."

Nagisa didn't reply to that and they spent a longer period of time in silence. After a few minutes Nagisa stirred in Rei's arms - Rei was surprised to realise that his thumb had still been stroking his side - and completely turned to face Rei again. The blond just watched him for a second, then said:

"It really is a bittersweet story."

Rei didn't know what to say. If he was honest he had expected Nagisa to be more upset about it.  
Nevertheless the blond seemed to be lost in thought when he turned back once more to lean against Rei's chest again. As if on command Rei's arms slung around Nagisa's chest.

"Hey, Rei-chan?"

The words were merely a whisper and Rei almost missed them.

"Hm?"

"Have you ever met a mermaid?"

Rei started saying, "What are you ta--", but then the meaning of the question hit him.  
His heart sped up again while he tried to figure out how a movie night - the DVD case was lying at their feet, abandoned - had turned into this situation.  
Rei gulped, then answered just as quietly.

"I don't think so, no."

Before Nagisa could react in any way Rei quickly added:

"But..."

The way Nagisa's breath hitched at just this small word made him feel even more nervous. He tightened his grip around Nagisa's torso.

"I think I might be one myself."

By this time Rei's heart was beating a mile a second and every single moment that passed without Nagisa saying anything was hell. He buried his face in the crook between Nagisa's neck and shoulders.  
Then the blond leaned back even further until his weight was only supported by Rei's chest and his arms around him. Rei let out a shaky breath.

"I think I might be one as well..."

At those words Rei's grip only tightened even more to the point where he was scared he would crush Nagisa but he didn't loosen it. Nagisa didn't protest anyway and when he sighed contently Rei softly pressed his lips against the back of his head.  
They stayed like that until they both dozed off.


	4. Other Sports

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa wants to watch the World Cup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super late today which is why I kind of shortened it but I think it works like that as well.

Nagisa approached Rei during lunch break.

"Hey, Rei-chan?"

Rei looked up from his bento to signal the other he was paying attention. Additionally he hummed just to make sure Nagisa knew he was listening.

"Wanna come over today after school? I recorded the game and we could watch it together."

Rei swallowed the food was just chewing, then he looked up at Nagisa with furrowed brows.

"Game? What game?"

Nagisa gasped and looked nothing less but utterly shocked.  
He leaned forward over Rei's desk and into his personal space, hands flat on the surface.

"The World Cup has started and Japan played its first game today! I wanted to watch it rather than just hear the results over the radio..."

Rei shuffled back with his chair, trying to get some space. He watched his bento and mumbled:

"I'm sorry, Nagisa-kun, but I think I'll pass. "

Nagisa sat back up straight.

"What? Why?"

Rei poked around in his food with his chopsticks which Nagisa took as an invitation to steal a sausage octopus out of the lunch box.  
Rei didn't protest, though, because by now his mother often actually prepared two or three extra ones specifically for Nagisa.

"It's just that this sport is hardly beautiful at all."

He put down his chopsticks to gesture wildly. Nagisa just watched him while sneaking another sausage.

"Often players get hurt, every time they fall their jerseys get more and more dirty, they get grass stains every time they slide over the grass, everyone sweats so much and the worst is how they shout and spit."

Nagisa thought Rei still wanted to go on but he probably figured he got his point across.

"But Haru-chan and Mako-chan are having dinner at Mako-chan's today and watching alone is just boring."

Rei gulped. He never wanted Nagisa to feel alone and could already feel himself reconsider his decision. Then Nagisa added:

"You don't even have to watch, you can do homework in the meantime or something. I just really don't wanna be alone."

Rei sighed. Once again the smaller boy completely had him wrapped around his finger.

"All right."

Nagisa's face brightened.

"Yay! And cause it's weekend tomorrow you can even stay over."

Rei smiled at Nagisa's enthusiasm and nodded.

"I'll grab my things after school and then come over."

He continued eating while Nagisa told him about a documentary about penguins he had seen the day before.

***

Rei was late and Nagisa was starting to feel impatient. Just when he was about to call the other the doorbell rang. Sliding on his socks Nagisa hurried to the front door. He hadn't even properly opened it yet when he started complaining.

"Geez, Rei-chan. What took you so long?"

Rei pushed up his glasses the way he always did when he explained things.

"I did some research on the positions in soccer, the different strategic approaches to a game and the key players of today's match."

Nagisa looked at him with wide eyes and absentmindedly took a step back to let Rei inside. Rei entered, not without saying, "Sorry for intruding", and added:

"I also brought snacks."

Nagisa immediately smiled broadly and as soon as Rei had taken off his shoes and jacket the bond dragged him into the living room. He let go of Rei's arm to let him put away his bag and went over to the coach where he had prepared drinks and snacks. He took the remote and turned back towards Rei to see how long he'd still take to join him.

"I already set everything up. Just need to press play now."

He waved with the remote in his hand. Rei smiled at how excited Nagisa was and walked over to the coach as well, taking a seat next to the blond. A short glance towards the table in front of them made Rei flinch but still he put down his own bag of crisps next to the big pile of sweets and snacks.  
Nagisa pulled his legs up to his chest and pressed play. Not a second later he started talking:

"Japan played against the Ivory Coast. Though I don't really know where that is..."

He sheepishly scratched his chin.

"Africa."

The starting whistle was audible, Nagisa turned around to look at Rei.

"Hm?"

Rei kept his eyes on the TV.

"The Ivory Coast is a country in Africa; in the west to be specific."

"Ah, okay."

Nagisa turned back towards the screen. For the next 15 minutes he cheered every time the Japanese made a good play and even started to claw at Rei's arm at one point.  
When Honda scored Nagisa jumped up in joy and managed to knock over his drink on the table.

"Oh no."

"Nagisa-kun!"

Nagisa hurried to the kitchen to grab some paper towels but not without shouting, "Rei-chan, can you please pause the game?", to which Rei only replied with, "I'm sorry, Nagisa-kun, but I'm trying to keep the damage as low as possible."  
Nagisa came back from the kitchen, trying to save time by once again sliding over the floor with his socked feet.  
He crashed into the table a second time. This time Rei's drink spilled as well.

"Nagisa-kun, please be careful."

"Ah, I'm so sorry!"

Rei held out a hand to Nagisa.

"A towel, quickly."

Rei could only hear the ripping of paper towels while he tried to keep the spilled drinks in boundaries.

"Here you go."

Rei felt the cellulose in his hand and instantly started wiping off the sticky liquid, demanding a next towel right after.  
For the worst part Rei just wiped while Nagisa handed him towels whenever he needed one. When most was saved Nagisa helped him dry everything properly.  
The pile of wet tissues soon overtowered even that one of the snacks. They threw the towels away and settled back onto the couch.

"Please be more careful from now on."

Nagisa giggled sheepishly but nodded.

"Yeah..."

When they were comfortable again Nagisa reached for the remote control but let out a half-load scream before he could grab it.  
Rei visibly startled.

"What's wrong?"

Nagisa turned to him reproachfully.

"I told you to press pause."

Rei frowned.

"And I told you that it was impossible."

They looked at the screen.

"Look, we didn't miss anything. Nobody scored."

Nagisa sighed.

"I guess you're right."

Then Nagisa snuggled up to Rei and rested his head on the other's shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

The blond rubbed his head on Rei's shoulder.

"Getting comfy."

Rei's sigh was supposed to be exhausted but even to himself it only sounded affectionate. He put his arm around the small yet strong shoulders next to him.

Five minutes later Nagisa started squirming around. Rei, having been completely focused on the match, turned his head in his direction. The angle hurt a bit.

"What's wrong?"

Nagisa pouted.

"Is the first half almost over?"

Rei felt baffled.

"There's a clock on the screen... There are ten minutes left."

Nagisa's pout grew.

"But it's getting so boring. Nothing much happened for so long."

With his free hand Rei pushed up his glasses.

"That's due to Japan's defensive strategy."

Nagisa's head turned up to look at Rei from down at his shoulder. He waited for further explanation and Rei gladly provided them.

"The Japanese team uses a strategy where they focus on defending their own goal and then go for counter attacks. Now that they have scored already they will focus even more on keeping the score the way it is."

This time it was Nagisa's turn to frown.

"How do you know this? Ah, did you already see the score when you researched?"

"No, really. I only researched their strategies, I swear."

Nagisa looked back at the TV.

"I see..."

He snuggled up closer to Rei.  
A few minutes they sat in silence, then Nagisa spoke again.

"It's still boring though."

The sound Rei made next was a mix between a sigh and a chuckle.

"There's only about five minutes left, I'm sure you can do it."

Nagisa whined but didn't move. When the referee blew for half time Nagisa let out a relieved sigh. He sat back a few centimetres - Rei was surprised to already miss the warmth next to him - and exclaimed:

"I need to pee but could you fast-forward through the halftime please?"

Rei blushed and mumbled, "That information was hardly necessary", but nevertheless he grabbed the remote control while Nagisa stood up.  
Nagisa came back just as Rei had reached the right time to start the game again. The blond hurried to get comfortable on the couch again. He took up the same position as before he left and Rei naturally put his own arm back around his shoulders.

The second half started just as the first had ended; with not much happening on screen and Nagisa subtly squirming around. Rei tightened his grip on his shoulder a bit which actually seemed to calm him down a little bit.  
A few minutes later Rei could hear soft, even breathing next to his ear. He angled his head to see Nagisa's face and realised that his eyes were closed.  
He whispered, "Nagisa kun?", but there was no response. Rei snickered softly but let the other boy sleep.

When Nagisa woke up again the game was over already and Rei greeted him with the words:

"Oh, you're awake again? We kind of lost..."

Suddenly the blond was very much awake again.

" _What_?"


	5. Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Rei's birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't proof-read and the end is kind of sloppy I guess. I'm really sorry.

When Nagisa avoided him on December 14 Rei was sure something was wrong.  
Makoto, Haruka and Gou had congratulated him via phone call and even Rin had sent him a short message for his special day and still Rei hadn't heard from Nagisa.  
Which was concerning because the blond usually never missed an opportunity to give a small, yet thoughtful present.  
They had been dating for a little over 6 months now and for every single month anniversary Nagisa had planned something, even if it had just been going out for ice cream..

That was why Rei was feeling impatient and uneasy at 6pm on his birthday. Of course he didn't want to seem greedy and he didn't even need a present. He was just getting worried that Nagisa hadn't even called him yet.  
What if something had happened to him?

Rei started nervously pacing his room when suddenly his mobile screen flashed brightly and his phone started vibrating. His fingers had never flown quicker over the screen when Makoto's caller ID showed up. With beating heart he took the call.

"Hello? Makoto-senpai?"

When Makoto answered his voice was calm which made Rei release a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"Hello, Rei. I'm sorry to bother you on your birthday but could you maybe pay Nagisa a visit or call him at least? Please?"

Rei gulped. So something was wrong indeed.

"What's wrong?"

Makoto hesitated for a second and Rei could feel his heart clench.

"Nagisa just called me but I think you might be able to help him better than I can..."

Rei started to be both, confused and slightly impatient.

"Help him with what?"

Makoto hesitated again and anger mixed into Rei's feelings as well.

"Well, he's been crying abo--"

Rei decided he would have to apologise to Makoto later for cutting him off like that but the mental image of Nagisa crying made his brain short-circuit.  
Within seconds Rei grabbed his jacket and hurried to the front door. While basically running past the living room he shouted to his mother:

"Sorry, I'll go out for a while."

His mother peaked through the doorframe while he put on his shoes.

"But what about your cake?"

Rei grabbed his keys and was already halfway outside before he replied.

"I'm really sorry, mother, I'll have some later. I'm meeting up with Nagisa-kun."

When he closed the door behind him he could see the corners of his mother's lips pull up in a small smile. While she didn't know about the real nature of their relationship she still knew that Nagisa was very important to him.

When he stood in front of the Hazuki household just some time later he once again was glad that he and Nagisa lived so close by. His heart clenched again as he rang the door bell. Just why had Nagisa been crying? Rei guessed he would find out soon.  
One of Nagisa's sisters answered the door. She looked up at him, simply said, "Ah, Ryugazaki-kun.", and let him in while she turned around to shout back into the house:

"Nagisa! Ryugazaki-kun is here!"

Rei took off his shoes and neatly put them next to each other, partly because he wanted to be polite but also partly because he could hear rumbling from inside of Nagisa's room and wanted to prepare himself some more.  
Nagisa's sister left him in the entryway with the words, "Nagisa is in his room.", and Rei went the familiar way to his boyfriend's room with a still very fast beating heart.  
Softly he knocked on the door.

"Nagisa-kun? Can I come in?"

When Nagisa didn't answer Rei carefully opened the door and when the other didn't protest he fully entered the room.  
To say that Nagisa's room was a mess was an understatement. The floor, his desk and his bed were covered in all sorts of things; magazines, plush toys, books about swimming, brochures, books about other things, restaurant flyers, vouchers for amusement parks and balls of wool among many other things.  
In the middle of this mess sat Nagisa. He seemed to not be sure if he should try to hide all of this or if he should just cry. He had probably realised that for trying to play it off it was too late already and now he just sat on his floor, frozen.

Rei closed the door behind him and slowly walked over to Nagisa. He once again let his eyes wander around the room before he quietly asked:

"What's all this, Nagisa-kun?"

Nagisa didn't look up when he answered.

"I'm so sorry, Rei-chan. I'm so sorry."

His voice started to waver and Rei was sure that there were new tears running over Nagisa's cheeks. He closed the last distance between them and sat down right next to his boyfriend. He watched him for a while and then tipped his chin to make him look at him. Nagisa avoided his eyes.

"Please look at me, Nagisa-kun."

Nagisa's face scrunched up as if he was in pain but after a few seconds he still looked at Rei. His eyes were red and his whole face looked swollen up from crying so much.  
Rei smiled at him.

"Hi."

Nagisa's lips trembled and Rei was sure he was close to breaking into a crying fit so he quickly kissed him. It was just a peck but he hoped it would assure Nagisa that whatever was wrong, they could work it out. Apparently he made things worse.  
Nagisa started crying loudly, his sobs only interrupted by chants of, "I'm so sorry.", and, "Please don't hate me!". In that moment Rei wanted nothing more than to see Nagisa laugh in an instant like he was supposed to be. He wanted him to be happy but it seemed that Rei himself was causing this problem and it made his chest hurt.

Rei pulled back but kept his hand on Nagisa's cheek when he started talking:

"Nagisa-kun, please tell me what's wrong. I don't like seeing you cry."

Nagisa then was obviously trying to calm down but he still hickupped through his sobs for another few minutes. All the while Rei gently patted his head.  
When Nagisa had quieted down he tried to calmly explain himself but he still had to stop from time to time to keep his composure.

"I-I'm so sorry, Rei-chan. I wa-wanted to give you the b-best present there is cause it's your bi-birthday... But I just couldn't find anything good enough for you."

Then he burst out into tears again.  
Rei's heart started beating faster again. He felt a strange mix of guilt and relief which he couldn't quite explain.  
Rei crawled even closer and embraced Nagisa until the smaller boy had his head buried against Rei's chest. He soothingly stroked over Nagisa's back while he started talking.

"Nagisa-kun, listen. I really don't need a present."

Nagisa let out a particularly loud sob.

"The best present you could give me is thinking so hard about what to give me that you start crying. Ah, but don't get me wrong, I don't want to see you cry ever again."

Nagisa chuckled shakily, Rei pulled him closer.

"If you really want to give me a present today just stay with me for a while and let me cuddle you."

He pulled back a few centimetres to look at Nagisa and the blond looked up to him with blurry eyes. He sniffled and asked with a quiet voice:

"Are you sure, Rei-chan? It's Christmas soon and I'll need to find something for that too..."

He buried his face against Rei again. With a small smile the taller boy started patting his head again.

"We'll figure something out for Christmas. We'll decide on something together, okay?"

Nagisa sniffled again but nodded against Rei's chest.  
They sat together in silence for a few minutes until Rei gently pushed Nagisa off again. He was still smiling when he pointed his head in the direction of the blond's bed.

"So, what about my present now?"

Nagisa wiped away the last drying tears and giggled.

"Rei-chan can be so naughty."

Rei blushed but he still helped Nagisa get rid of everything he had piled up on the covers. They just let all the things fall to the ground where they perfectly blended in with the mess that was still covering the floor. Rei flinched.

"We'll have to tidy this up later."

Nagisa sat down on the bed and grabbed Rei's wrist to pull him closer.

"That can wait."

Rei gladly joined him on the soft mattress and they cuddled up together, fitting their bodies perfectly against each other.  
It wasn't long until they started kissing lazily which quickly got more and more passionate. Their hands started wandering about and soon they were shirtless. That was as far as they had gone yet in their relationship.

Rei could feel Nagisa think in the way his kisses lacked precision and his hands stopped moving. He pulled back enough to speak.

"What are you thinking about?"

Rei was surprised to hear his own raspy voice. Nagisa hesitated a second before he answered.

"I was just thinking that I'd still like to give you a present but I'm not sure if you're okay with that..."

His voice trailed off and suddenly Rei felt very excited.

"What-- What are you having in mind?"

Nagisa took a deep breath and let his fingertips wander down Rei's side.

"I could, you know..."

When his hand reached Rei's hips he still let it travel for another few centimetres to Rei's centre before he stopped.  
Rei could feel his cheeks flush while his whole body heated up. He also felt more than just slightly aroused now. Silently he nodded.

"Are you sure?"

Nagisa sounded just as nervous as Rei felt which eased some of the tension. He nodded again.  
Nagisa's fingers found their way to the zipper on Rei's trousers. He was still hesitant but when Rei gently kissed him Nagisa pulled it down. The more difficult part was popping the button open but Rei helped him with it. Both of their hands trembled when they brushed and Nagisa couldn't help but giggle.

"I'm so excited, Rei-chan.", he breathed.

"Me too."

Now that Rei's button and zipper stood open neither didn't really know what to do next. Nagisa's hand awkwardly hovered a few centimetres above his nether region.

"Do you-- Do you want me to take your trousers off?"

Rei gulped.

"I-I don't know..."

They were quiet for a while until Nagisa said:

"Lie down on your back."

Rei frowned but did as he was told. Nagisa leaned over him and quickly stole a kiss off Rei's lips before he reached down to the waistband of Rei's trousers.

"Lift your hips a bit, Rei-chan."

The way Nagisa's voices sounded so much lower than usual made Rei feel butterflies in his stomach. Once again he did what Nagisa had asked of him. A second later his trousers were pulled down to his knees and Nagisa could perfectly see Rei's erection under his boxer briefs. Nagisa stared at him in awe while Rei tried to cover his face with his arms.

"Please don't look so closely, Nagisa-kun."

Since he had his face covered Rei didn't see how Nagisa slowly reached out until his fingertip gently poked the tip of Rei's cock. He jolted so hard that he surprised both of them. They looked at each other with wide eyes while Rei's cheeks reddened more and more. He huffed.

"Please warn me the next time."

Nagisa almost didn't let him finish his sentence before he mumbled:

"I'm gonna touch it again, Rei-chan."

Even with the warning Rei still startled when he could feel Nagisa's finger on his length. This time the blond didn't stop after just a poke though, but let his finger slide from the middle down the shaft and back up. Rei's whole body shivered and he almost choked when he spoke up.

"Nagisa...kun... Please do something. I do--ngh."

Nagisa swirled his index finger around the tip. Rei's breathing went almost disconcertingly fast.

"I don't think... I will last long..."

Rei let out a low groan and Nagisa's breath hitched as well. The blond next hooked his fingers under the waistband of Rei's boxer briefs and slowly pulled them down. He pulled them down to Rei's knees as well where they joined his trousers. When his cock sprang free Rei let out a relieved sigh.  
He wasn't quite ready to feel Nagisa's hand on his bare skin though and with a yelp he suddenly came all over Nagisa's hand and his own stomach.

While Rei tried to catch his breath and apologising to Nagisa simultaneously he completely missed the way Nagisa's face scrunched up just a second later. The blond reached over to his bedside table to get tissues and even when he had finished cleaning them both up Rei was still busy saying, "I'm so sorry, Nagisa-kun, that was hardly beautiful at all.", again and again.  
Nagisa threw the dirty tissues away and Rei pulled his boxer briefs and trousers back up. Looking at Nagisa from the bed, Rei suddenly realised what had just happened and flushed so much he thought his head might explode at any second. Blindly he reached for his shirt that had fallen to the ground and handed the other one he found there to the blond in front of him.  
When they both were fully clothed again Rei wanted to say something - he wasn't even sure what exactly but he just needed to ease the tension - but Nagisa interrupted him before he could even start.

"Uhm, sorry, Rei-chan, let's talk about this in a minute. I kind of need to go to the bathroom..."

Sheepishly Nagisa walked over to his drawer to pull out some underwear. Rei watched him with a frown until it hit him and the blush on his cheeks got even worse. When Nagisa walked over to the door they didn't say anything else but before the blond reached the handle he abruptly turned around again and with two big steps he was standing next to Rei again. He pressed a quick kiss to the other's lips and with a big smile he said:

"I almost forgot; happy birthday, Rei-chan!"

Then Nagisa was gone and all Rei could do was bury his burning face in the pillows on Nagisa's bed.


	6. Desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There might be some misunderstandings...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I'm sorry. My writing skills have deteriorated to those of a 4th grader...

Rei looked at his phone screen with a frown on his face. He had just been packing his bag because he was going to stay over at Nagisa's house that night when he had gotten a message from the blond.

_Hey, Rei-chan!^_^ What's your favourite desert?_

Even after staring at those few words for several minutes they still didn't make any sense. Why was Nagisa of all people asking him about deserts?  
After another five minutes of wondering, Rei decided it was a good thing that the other one seemed to think about his education and that he shouldn't doubt his friend.  
Rei turned on his computer and completely forgot about what he had been doing prior to receiving Nagisa's message. 

***

Nagisa was sitting on his back, rocking back and forth out of boredom. He had sent his message ten minutes ago and started to get impatient. He sent another text.

_Rei-cha~n. What's taking you so long? u_u°_

Five minutes later, still no reply.  
Nagisa sent one more message.

_Come o~n, it's not that hard! Ah, please don't tell me you're researching!?_

And when Rei still didn't answer, Nagisa decided to use his phone for other things while he waited and so watched penguin videos on YouTube.  
About half an hour later, Nagisa was just watching a bunch of penguins chasing a butterfly when his phone vibrated in his hands. Without hesitation he closed the video and went to check his mails.  
Rei had finally answered.

_This is not a question to take lightly, Nagisa-kun. Research is essential in this field of science._

Nagisa frowned but kept on reading.

_I couldn't possibly decide for just one so I narrowed the choices down to my three favourites._

This still didn't make any sense.

_The first one would be the Sahara which isn't as popular as it is without reason. It is the biggest hot desert, the third largest in total. It is spread over 12 countries which is tremendous. Also it is the hottest of all deserts which makes it a great location for academic studies and research._

Nagisa stopped reading. Just what was Rei talking about? Just in case he went back to check the text he himself had sent Rei and his eyes widened. Quickly he typed a new message.

_Aaah, I'm so sorry, Rei-chan. I meant to ask you about your favourite dessert! As in what you want to have after dinner! I'm so sorry! >______> _

But once again Nagisa didn't get a reply. He secretly hoped that Rei wouldn't start his research again and went back to reading the answer he got earlier when he realised he couldn't do anything but wait.  
Reading about Rei's reasons to like something was entertaining most of the time anyway. 

_Another great desert is the Salar de Uyuni which is the biggest salt flat and located in Bolivia. Thanks to its features of having a large area with mostly clear skies and its general flatness makes it an ideal object for calibrating the altimeters of Earth observation satellites. Furthermore, it's just beautiful with its widespread flatness and if it rains and the Salar is covered in water it looks like a huge mirror._  
 _At last, and this one is probably my most favourite, there is the Mojave Desert which is the desert around the infamous highway Route 66 in the United States of America. There are several so-called "ghost towns" which reminded me of you, Nagisa-kun._

With this, Rei's message ended and Nagisa could feel himself blush. The desert that reminded Rei of him was his most favourite? Suddenly the door bell rang and his heart skipped a beat. Within seconds he sprinted to the front door where he found a flushed Rei.  
Rei seemed to be out of breath and carried - next to his usual bag - a plastic bag. He shoved the latter in Nagisa's direction and just held it out until Nagisa took it. 

"I'm really sorry I'm late, Nagisa-kun." 

Nagisa stepped aside to let the other in. Rei's breathing slowly seemed to regularise. 

"Did you run here?" 

Rei didn't give an answer and Nagisa didn't really expect one. Instead, while Rei got rid of his shoes and jacket, the blond took a look at what was inside the plastic bag. He was honestly surprised to find a box of butterfly cakes; chocolate and strawberry flavoured.  
With gaping mouth Nagisa looked over to the other to see that even though he was now breathing regularly again his blush hadn't faded. Rei pushed up his glasses. 

"I figured it would be easier to just bring it myself." 

Without warning Nagisa hugged him tightly and mumbled: 

"Let's go to America one day." 

Rei gently patted his head. 

"Hm?" 

Nuzzling his head against Rei's hand and shoulder he replied, hiding his grin: 

"Let's go and see the Mojave Desert." 


	7. Coming Out (Freestyle)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa and Rei tell their friends about their relationship...

Rei and Nagisa had decided to do it on that particular afternoon after practice. They were mentally prepared and Rin even joined them as well so they could kill all the birds with one stone.  
Nevertheless when they were changing back into their clothes after hitting the showers their hearts beat much faster than usually. Every now and then Rei would sneak glances at Nagisa only to find him looking back at him already. Getting dressed was particularly hard with shaking hands. 

Just when Haruka, Makoto and Rin were about to leave Nagisa called them back, stuttering his way through.

"Ah, sorry, could you maybe... Rei-chan and I, we want... You see, we would like... Can we... Can we talk to you for a minute?"

The three stopped in their tracks and turned back around to see a very hard blushing Nagisa and a not less embarrassed Rei. Nagisa was fidgeting with the hem of his shirt while Rei was pushing up his glasses. To ease some tension Makoto smiled and gently said, "Sure", before stepping a few steps back into the room.  
Nagisa took a deep breath and seemed to magnetically be pulled closer to Rei until they were standing shoulder to shoulder.  
Rin pulled up an eyebrow.

"Well?"

Nagisa hissed under his breath and Makoto nudged Rin, whispering:

"Can't you see he's trying to calm down?"

Nagisa inhaled deeply once more and then blurted out:

"Rei-chan and I have been dating!"

The whole room was silent for a while. It felt unbearable for the couple. Nagisa seemed close to tears within seconds and Rei took one step closer to him to put his hand on his shoulder, soothingly.  
Makoto was the first to break the silence.

"Uhm, that's kind of a surprise but I'm happy for you. I'm glad you found someone so dear to you in each other."

Rin knitted his brows but waited until Makoto was finished talking before he almost shouted:

"How is this a surprise to you? Look at them!"

He gestured to Nagisa and Rei.

"I thought you guys had been together for months. How long has this been going on?"

The two younger boys blushed hard again. The floor suddenly seemed very interesting to Nagisa so he didn't leave Rei a chance but to answer for them.

"For... uhm, for a few months?"

Rin raised his eyebrow again.

"Is this a question?"

Rei shook his head just a tiny bit.

"No."

Then he looked Makoto, Rin and Haruka in the eyes, one after the other, before he repeated with an earnest voice:

"Nagisa-kun and I have been dating for a few months now."

Rin suddenly fist-bumped the air.

"Hah! I knew it! Gou owes me some money now."

He quickly ran outside, calling, "Gou!", on his way. Rei and Nagisa looked at each other, confused, but there was one more opinion valuable for them. Nagisa gulped once and then looked at Haruka.

"Haru-chan?"

Haruka looked outside the now open door which faced the pool and just mumbled:

"Whatever."

Nagisa urged on.

"So it doesn't bother you that we're both boys?"

Haruka's eyes seemed to get more desperate with every second he looked outside.

"So long as both of you appreciate water there shouldn't be any boundaries."

Makoto tried hard not to chuckle when suddenly Gou burst into the room, not bothering to check if the guys were properly dressed by now.

"Are you for real?"

She saw the couple still standing close together, Rei's hand still reassuringly lying on Nagisa's shoulder, and let out a deep sigh.

"I should've known... But I didn't want to see it..."

"Gou-chan?"

Nagisa's voice was shaking a little. Rei was very close to give Gou a bit of his mind when Rin loudly opened the door again.

"Gou, what the fuck? Just tell them you're happy already or they won't get any sleep tonight."

Gou turned to her brother.

"But isn't it a waste of genes?"

Rei blinked two, three times, not sure how to react to such a question, while Nagisa just bluntly asked, "Huh?".  
Gou was quick to explain.

"Why would you let the potential of those muscles go to waste? Why wouldn't you hand those genes down to the next generation?"

While most of the boys tried to think of a good reply Makoto was already trying to smooth things down:

"But there's always ways to get children, even with same-sex couples. This shouldn't stop you fro--"

He was interrupted by Rin.

"Just think about it like this; it's double the muscle mass with two boys."

Makoto's argument hadn't seemed to convince Gou, but now she was obviously lost in thoughts.

"Really, Gou-chan?"

Rei absentmindedly gripped Nagisa's shoulder a little tighter.

"I must say I feel a little bit disappointed."

Gou's eyes focused back on the scenery in front of her, she looked the couple over.

"Yep, that might work."

She nodded.

"Yes, you have my permission. Please go and move your muscles together."

Rei was torn between thanking her and feeling very uncomfortable. And even when Nagisa wanted to actually say something he was interrupted by Haruka:

"If we don't leave soon can I go back into the pool?"

Nagisa, who had just opened his mouth to reply to Gou, started chuckling which quickly turned into a full tilt laughter. He felt as if a huge weight had been taken off their shoulders and soon not only Rei, but everyone in the room joined him. Except Haruka who was still not sure if it was okay to swim some more now or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so done with this week I didn't even know how to write anything serious anymore.
> 
> Thanks for everyone who kept on reading and who left kudos or comments! Every single one is appreciated.


End file.
